Head to head: Running mate

Jul. 25, 2008 05:10 PMThe Arizona Republic

John McCain

Barack Obama

Rudy Giuliani: The former New York City mayor overcame a combative political reputation to emerge as something of a national hero after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. But as a liberal Republican soundly defeated in this year's GOP primaries, Giuliani could further tax McCain's shaky relationship with his party's right wing.

However, McCain considers him a friend, and Giuliani no doubt earned points for immediately endorsing him after the Florida primary, continuing to campaign for him and acting as a surrogate. Giuliani also shares McCain's foreign-policy priority of fighting global terrorists. The two recently were seen together at a Major League Baseball game.

Evan Bayh, 52, U.S. senator from Indiana: He is relatively young but well-seasoned. Bayh served two terms as governor of Indiana, then two terms as the state's junior senator. His father, Birch Bayh, is a former senator who unsuccessfully sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1976. The younger Bayh was a backer of unsuccessful presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. He gave the keynote address at the 1996 Democratic National Convention and has flirted with a presidential run. He's a member of Senate committees dealing with military and intelligence issues. He could make normally conservative Indiana competitive for Obama. Despite his background, Bayh hasn't forged a national profile.

Piyush "Bobby" Jindal, 37, Louisiana governor: Jindal, whose parents came to the United States from India, is considered one of the Republican Party's rising stars. In 2007, he became the nation's first elected Indian-American governor. He has served in Congress and as president of the University of Louisiana System. An Oxford University-educated Rhodes scholar, he's been a reliable McCain ally.

Jindal was among the high-profile guests whom McCain entertained in May at his cabin near Sedona, but Jindal appeared to remove himself from the running by telling Fox News last week July 23 that he is "not going to be the vice-presidential nominee."

Jindal would be a historic choice for a Republican that could signal a new era of GOP inclusion. But the age difference - on the day Jindal was born, McCain had been a prisoner of war in Vietnam for more than three years - could turn out to be a political liability. Jindal's nickname "Bobby" comes from that of the youngest son on The Brady Bunch, another stark contrast with the grizzled McCain.

Joe Biden, 65, U.S. senator from Delaware: A staple of Sunday-morning talk shows during his 36 years in the Senate, Biden could bring foreign-policy seriousness and a thorough knowledge of the Beltway to the ticket.

One of the Senate's heavyweights, he made two forgettable runs for president 20 years apart. Biden has been a vocal critic of the approach to the war in Iraq and is a surprisingly strong supporter of the environment in business-friendly Delaware. He has a sharp tongue that has gotten him in trouble. The day he announced his 2008 presidential run, Biden clumsily described Obama as an African-American who is "clean" and "articulate." In 1987, Biden dropped out of the White House race after critics accused him of plagiarizing a speech.

Tom Ridge, 62 former Pennsylvania governor and congressman and first secretary of the Department of Homeland Security: Ridge is a Vietnam War veteran who was first elected to Congress in 1982, the same year as the Arizona Republican.

Ridge's main attraction is his potential to tip his home swing state, although the abortion-rights supporter likely would do little to excite conservatives who are less than enthusiastic about McCain. He left his high-profile, post-9/11 Cabinet post in 2005, which may not have been early enough to escape being associated with the unpopular outgoing president and could aid the Democratic narrative that a McCain presidency would amount to a third term for George W. Bush.

Sam Nunn, 69, former U.S. senator from Georgia: He is a perennial vice-presidential possibility because of his moderate reputation. Nunn, who served for 24 years in the Senate, chaired the Armed Services Committee for years and is credited with helping to bring about an arms-reduction treaty with members of the former Soviet Union.

His age could be an issue, and many Democrats won't like his votes against gays in the military and his support for prayer in public schools. Still, Nunn could ease questions about Obama's experience.

Mitt Romney, 61, former Massachusetts governor: He was McCain's fiercest foe in the Republican primaries, but it wouldn't be the first time former rivals ran together. Still, his shift from a moderate-to-liberal Republican in the 1990s to a hard-core conservative in the presidential race could be problematic for McCain, who makes authenticity a key part of his candidacy.

Romney's reputation for business acumen, which includes his role in the financial salvation of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, could obscure McCain's lack of economic savvy. Romney was born in Detroit, and his father, the late George Romney, was Michigan governor in the 1960s. Romney beat McCain in the Michigan primary and could provide a lift in the general election. A Mormon, he potentially could motivate Mormon populations in a swing state such as Nevada.

Bill Richardson, 60, governor of New Mexico: As a former congressman, Energy secretary, ambassador to the United Nations under President Clinton and governor of a Western state, Richardson brings a long resume to the table.

He is also Hispanic and outspoken in support of gun rights, factors that could simultaneously enlarge Obama's base of support and neutralize an area of concern. Richardson is credited with helping secure the release of American hostages and, in some ways, bridges the gap between Clinton supporters and Obama.

After quickly abandoning his own presidential campaign this year, Richardson endorsed Obama midway through the primary season. That was a blow to the Clintons and led Clinton loyalist James Carville to label him "Judas." Rewarding Richardson could again stoke that bitterness.